Steel wool package



Oct. 11, 1938.; E. R. MARTIN I STEEL WOOL PACKAGE Filed Jan. 2, 1936Patented Oct. 11, 1938 "121.11

f STEEL WOOL memes; f I I.

Elmer R. Martin, Springfield, Ohio, assignor to The Williams Company,London, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 2, '1936, SerialNo. 57,241

1 Claim. (Cl. 206-46) This invention relates to steel wool, but moreparticularly to packages of steel wool, and an object is to produce anew and improved package of steel wool, which, from the standpoint ofthe manufacturer, is less costly and simpler to make, and from thestandpoint of the user, is such that the steel wool is readilyavailable, in good condition, free from tangles and matting, with thestrands in the'desired ribbon form so thatmost efiicient andsatisfactory use can be made of the entire steel wool surface, and sopackaged that access to the steel wool can be gained without lia- Figure2 is a perspective view of the bundle 25 packaged in a carton andindicating the manner in which the carton is opened to release the steelwool.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a length of steelwool ribbon In, which 30 is relatively flat, and may be of any suitablewidth. The ribbon is folded in serpentine or accordian fashion in suchmanner that the ends and side edge portions are approximately even;After the ribbon is folded in this manner, it is pressed into a 35relatively flat bundle, compression being exerted in the direction ofthe arrow ll, and the dotted portion of Figure 1 showing a. portion ofthe ribbon in its uncompressed state. predetermined length or weight ofribbon is folded 40 in this form, as for example, a length weighingapproximately one pound, and the folds may be of substantial length sothat a substantial length of relatively flat steel wool can be separatedfrom the remainder without unwinding, this being without 45 tangles, andin the desired condition for usein polishing, cleaning, or other usesfor which an abrasive of this character is desired. The'bundle shouldnot be compressed to the point that the folds cannot be separated fromeach other, but

In practice, a p

r the package.

length severed off, and thereafter rewound, but the serpentine foldenables the desired length to be removed without disturbing theremainder. With the spiral fold, the strands at the folded ends becomematted or felted to the adjacent 5 ones, thereby militating againstready separation of the folds and rendering the steel wool at thoseplaces inferior for abrasive purposes. The serpentine foldedibundleobviates these disadvantages, inasmuch as the steel wool at the folds is10 not felted or tangled with adjacent layers and is entirely asefficient and satisfactory for abrasive purposes as other portions ofthe ribbon.

The steel wool bundle in its relatively flat, compressed condition maybe forced into a carton I2, which, in this instance, is of tubular formwith the ends open. For that purpose, the bundle should not becompressed sufilciently to prevent ready separation of adjacent layersof the ribbon, but sufficiently to result in normal expansion of thesteel wool into frictional engagement with the walls of the carton.Although the carton in this instance is shown of elongate rectangularform, it may be of annular form if desired. In the form shown, a portionof the steel wool may be pulled out without disturbing the remainder.This can be accomplishedby grasping the free end of the ribbon andpulling it from the carton. This does .not destroy the ribbon form andrenders unnecessary the removal of the entire bundle.

Not infrequently it becomes desirable to remove the entire bundle ofsteel wool from the carton I2.

Removal of steel wool in bulk from a carton in which it is packed underpressure has heretofore been accomplished by rupturing the carton by 36means of a knife or similar instrument and slit ting it longitudinally.This has been found to be objectionable because the steel wool uponbeing released, springs outwardly toward the hands of the person openingthe package and oftentimes 40 causes injury to the hands from abrasionsor cuts.. In accordance with thisinvention, indication is made on thecarton, as by means of a line l3 adjacent one side edge and extendinglongitudinally of The line I3 is on the side which should be uppermostat the time the carton is ruptured and which is free from the lateral or;expanding force exerted by the steel wool. In

Figure 2, the knife I4 is shown in the operation of slitting'the carton,and it will be noted that the in details of construction and arrangementmay be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention,especially as defined in the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A package consisting of a steel wool ribbon I ,folded in accordian orserpentine formation to provide a longitudinally elongate pack, thelayers of the ribbon running lengthwise of the pack and having the sideand end edges thereof substane tially even with each other, and a cartonof readily rupturable material in the formof an open ended sleeveembracing the four elongate sides lel with the layers thereby to removea portion of the steel wool without disturbing the remainder.

ELMER R. MARTIN.

